Advertising device.



T. J. BURKE. ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,1909.

Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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T. J. BURKE.

ADVERTISING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED JULY 18,1909. 970,301 Patented Sept. '13, 1910.

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UNITiiD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. BURKE, OF NEWORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Advertising Devices, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in advertising devices and more particularlyto a structure in which one or more rolling bodies are kept constantly in motion for the purpose of more effectually attracting the attention of passers-by to the advertisement contained on the sign.

One object of the invention is to provide for the combination with the rolling bodies of devices which are operated or tripped thereby and which may advantageously give forth musical or non-musical tones in order that the sense of hearing as well as the sense of sight may be appealed to for the purpose stated.

Another object of the invention is to comprise a sign structure embodying novel instrumentalities for producing the continuone motion of and for guiding the rolling objects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sign structure of compendious character and in which the advertising panels and the wall of the building conceal the greater portion of the instrumentalities so that the apparent eflect is that of perpetual motion without obvious cause, thereby increasing the power of the sign to attract the attention of the passers-by.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated a preferred and advantageous embodiment of the invention which is to be regarded as exemplary and not as obligatory.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sign constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof on an enlarged scale, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line aa of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are respective side and plan views of a toothed or pocketed wheel which constitutes a preferred means for producing the continuous movement of the rolling objects. Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification which goes to the form rather than to the nature of the structure.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 507,916.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The support for the device may be of any suitable character and is shown at A in dotted lines, in Figs. 1 and 2, as being the wall of a building. The sign, designated in a general way by the letter B, may be attached to the support A in any suitable manner and may also be hung therefrom, as by chains C.

The sign B preferably comprises a pair of coextensive panels, as 1, which are connected by upper and lower transverse members 3 and 1 and are held by said members in spaced relation, so that an internal space, as 5, is afforded, in which parts of the operating mechanism may be disposed and concealed. A preferred form of this operating mechanism involves a guide means, as 6, rolling objects, as 7, and a revoluble ing the continuous movement of the objects 7.

The guide means, as 6, is preferably in the form of a continuous loop, the upper and lower laps of which taper outwardly so as to afford inclined runways to produce the continuous circuitous travel of the rolling objects. The guide 6 is of skeleton form, consisting of a number of bent rods which, in cross section, may be arranged in circular series, as shown in Fig. 4., or in oblong series, as shown in Fig. 7, and which afford a cagelike inclosure for the rolling objects 7. The said rods may be connected in spaced relation by a number of circumscribing bands, as 9, which are arranged at desired intervals and which, for convenience, are hung from the members 3 and 4, either by attachment thereto 01' by being formed as an integral part thereof. In the form shown in Fig. 7 instead of the annular bands 9, bands, as 9 of U-shaped form are employed and these latter are attached directly to the panels 1.

The rolling objects 7 may be of any suitable character. In Fig. 1, they are shown as balls and in Fig. 7 as disks or hoops. They may be differently colored so that in their continuous movement kaleidoscopic color effects are produced.

The inner portion of the guide 6 projects through an opening in the support A and is concealed by the latter. Concentric with the curve at the end of said inner portion is a shaft, as 10, which is driven from any source of power, as for example, an electric motor 11, by any suitable gearing, as for example, the worm and" screw gearing, indicated generally at 12, in Fig. 1.

The wheel 8, to which reference has been made, is mounted upon the shaft 10 and is provided with radially projecting teeth, as 13, which extend through the space between a pair of the rods of the guide 6 and are so arranged as to afford pockets therebetween for the reception of the rolling objects, as shown in Fig. 1.

The devices which are tripped by the rolling objects during their travel through the guide, are indicated by the numeral 14L and may be of a character to accord with the circumstances in which the sign is used. As herein shown, they consist of bells which are pivotally hung from the lowermost set of bands 9 and which have extensions, as 15, that project into the confines of the guide 6, in the path of the rolling objects. These latter, as they travel through the guide, engage and depress the extensions 15 and produce thereby the rocking and sounding of the bells, the latter resuming their normal positions after the disengagement of their extensions 15 by the rolling objects. Just as the objects 7 may be arranged so as to produce desired color effects, so the bells 14 may be arranged to produce desired harmonic effects, and either of these effects, or both, in combination as herein shown, materially enhance the attractiveness of the sign and its value as an advertising medium.

In use, the rolling objects travel by gravity, outwardly along the upper lap of the guide and inwardly along the lower lap thereof, at the end of which they engage in the successively presented pockets of the wheel 8 and are moved by the latter from the lower lap back to the upper lap of the guide, these operations being repeated ad nfim'tum.

It. will be observed thatthe only part of the mechanism which is visible is a portion of the lower lap of the guide, in which the rolling objects are exposed to view to produce the effects noted, but the mechanism which produces the continuous movement of these objects is not visible. Consequently an eifect of perpetual motion without apparent cause is produced to create an element of mystery that adds materially to the power of the sign in drawing attention to the advertising matter thereon.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In an advertising device, the combina- ,nation with a plurality of structurally inde pendent visible movable objects of means for producing the continuous traveling movement thereof and a plurality of sounding devices adapted to be operated successively by the several movable objects in their travel.

2. Inan advertising device, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll al nd a plurality of the guide for producing a continuous traveling movement of the rolling bodies.

8. In an advertising device, a plurality of bodies adapted to travel and a plurality of sounding devices operable continuously by said traveling bodies during their travel and means for producing the continuous travel of said bodies.

4:. In an advertising device, a plurality of bodies adapted to travel and a plurality of movable bodies supported at fixed points and operable continuously by said traveling bodies during their travel a guide for the traveling bodies and means adapted to cooperate with the guide for producing the continuous travel of said bodies.

5, In an advertising device, means for producing kaleidoscopic color effects, means for giving oif harmonic efiects and means for causing the operation of the latter consequent to the operation of the former.

6. In an advertising device, a pair of spaced advertising panels, a guide in the form of a continuous loop of skeleton construction partially disposed between and concealed by the panels and partially projecting therebeyond and unconcealed, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll confined in the guide and at all times movable therein and having the direction of their circuitous travel determined by the outline of the guide and means for producing the continuous circuitous travel of the bodies in the guide.

7. In an advertising device, a pair of spaced advertising panels, a plurality of devices adapted to give forth sounds and associated with the advertising panels, a plurality of bodies, adapted to roll and which in their movement operate the sounding devices, a guide for the bodies and means for producing the rolling action of the bodies.

8. In an advertising device, a pair of spaced advertising panels, a guide in the form of a continuous loop of skeleton construction partially disposed between the panels, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll and confined in the guide, means for producing the continuous circuitous travel of the bodies in the guide and a plurality of devices adapted to give forth sounds and arranged at fixed points along the guide and operable by the bodies.

9. In an advertising device, a pair of spaced advertising panels, a guide in the form of a continuous loop of skeleton construction partially disposed between the panels, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll and confined in the guide, means for producing the continuous circuitous travel of the bodies in the guide and a plurality of movsounding devices adapted to be operated g g the rolling bodies a guide for the rolling -L bodies and means adapted to cooperate with r able devices arranged at fixed points along the guide and operable by the bodies.

10. In an advertising device, a pair of spaced advertising panels, a guide in the form of an elongated continuous loop of skeleton construction partially disposed between the panels and partially projecting therebeyond, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll and confined in the guide and having the direction of their circuitous travel determined by the outline of the guide, and a wheel arranged at one end of the guide and having peripheral pockets to successively receive the rolling bodies and to transfer the same from the lower to the upper lap of the guide.

11. In an advertising device, a plurality of visible bodies adapted to travel, means for causing the traveling action of the bodies, a plurality of devices adapted to give forth sounds and means for causing the operation of the latter consequent to the operation of the former.

12. In an advertising device, a guide in the form of a continuous loop of skeleton construction, a plurality of bodies adapted to roll and confined in the guide and having the direction of their circuitous travel determined by the outline of the guide, and a wheel arranged at one end of the guide and having peripheral pockets to successively receive the rolling bodies and to transfer the same from the lower to the upper lap of the guide.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS J. BURKE.

Witnesses:

FREDK. P. BERMES,

l/V. J. ODoNNELL. 

